Newport Arch is a 3rd-century Roman gate in the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire. It is a Scheduled monument and Grade I listed building and is reputedly the oldest arch in the United Kingdom still used by traffic.

History

The arch was remodelled and enlarged when the city, then the Roman town Lindum Colonia, became capital of the province Flavia Caesariensis in the 4th century. Though unique in the United Kingdom, it is nevertheless one of many original Roman arches still open to traffic, other examples being two gates through the city walls of the Roman town of Diocletianopolis (now Hisarya, Bulgaria), as well as numerous examples in Anatolia. As the north gate of the city, it carried the major Roman road Ermine Street northward almost in a straight line to the Humber. From Romano-British Buildings and Earthworks by John Ward (1911):

Accidents

In May 1964 a goods lorry belonging to the Humber Warehousing Company struck the arch while attempting to pass under it. Forty years later, in May 2004, another lorry struck the arch, causing minor damage. 13 years later, in May 2017, a RASE logistics lorry got stuck underneath the arch; after letting down the tyres, it was able to reverse out with no apparent damage to the structure.